Two ASIs among 13 policemen suspended for dereliction of duty
Bathinda, May 10
Taking stringent measures against policemen who fail to perform their duties diligently, 13 policemen, including two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs), have been suspended in a day and 16 others, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), transferred.

SLIET shuts down for a month, students asked to vacate hostels
Sangrur May 10
The authorities of the Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET), Longowal, today closed the institute for a month and the students were told to vacate the hotels and leave the campus. Besides, the authorities also postponed the SLIET Entrance Test (SET)-2013 for a month.

Chemists protest against FDI in pharma sector
Fazilka, May 10
On the call of the Punjab Chemists' Association, chemists of Fazilka district kept their shops closed for the whole day today, resulting in inconvenience to patients and emergency services in the district.

S-W Command chief opens Sainik Institute
Abohar, May 10
Lt-General Gyan Bhushan, GOC-in-Chief, South Western Command, inaugurated a modern
'Sainik Institute' at Lalgarh Jattan military station in the neighbouring Rajasthan today.

Vijender may be let off the hookPatiala, May 10
Having failed to find concrete evidence against boxer Vijender Singh, the Punjab Police is unlikely to challenge the court orders restraining it from conducting drug tests on the pugilist.

Bathinda, May 10
Taking stringent measures against policemen who fail to perform their duties diligently, 13 policemen, including two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs), have been suspended in a day and 16 others, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), transferred.

Talwandi Sabo DSP Jagdish Kumar has been transferred as the DSP (Headquarter) to Bathinda. DSP Dev Dutt from Chandigarh is replacing Kumar. Besides, 15 cops, including five ASIs and 10 constables and head constables, deployed at Talwandi Sabo police station have been transferred to the Police Lines.

Though senior police officials have termed the transfer of a large number of cops from Talwandi Sabo police station as a routine affair, sources said these cops had failed to nab a drug smuggler who escaped a police naka a few days ago.

Apart from the transfers, five constables deployed with a PCR on night patrolling, three constables of the Sadar police station, three constables of the Canal Colony police station and two ASIs of the Civil Lines police station have been suspended for dereliction of duty.

SP (D) Amarjit Singh said the officials at Talwandi Sabo were shifted under routine transfer policy and 13 others were suspended for dereliction of duty.

DSP (D) Ranjit Singh, who caught the cops sleeping during a surprise check last night, said stringent measures were initiated to curb the criminal activities in Bathinda.

Police sources said the surprise checking was being done on a regular basis on the orders of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravcharan Brar after thieves stole a wireless set and other gadgets from cops sleeping during night duty recently.

Also, the recent spate of late night crime incidents like vehicle lifting, theft and breaking of windowpanes by a group of eight boys, has upset the residents and police functionaries.

DSP (D) Ranjit Singh said Bhupinder was a resident of Guru Nanak Pura Mohalla and after getting four week leave from jail did not return. He was absconding since June 2011. He was booked at Kotwali police station and now a fresh case has been registered against him.

Sangrur May 10
The authorities of the Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET), Longowal, today closed the institute for a month and the students were told to vacate the hotels and leave the campus. Besides, the authorities also postponed the SLIET Entrance Test (SET)-2013 for a month.

Meanwhile, agitating students after holding talks with Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kumar Rahul and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mandip Singh Sidhu ended their five-day dharna and four-day hunger strike. The students were on a strike since Monday to seek removal of SLIET director Sunil Pandey.

The DC offered juice to students observing hunger strike to end their fast. He was in touch with the students as they were not ready to hold talks with the SLIET authorities.

Dr Rahul, a medical specialist at the Sangrur civil hospital, said all the 13 students, who were on hunger strike, had been shifted to the hospital as symptoms of dehydration had appeared among them during medical examination. Besides, signs of some effects on their vital organs had also started appearing, he added.

In the notice issued by the Registrar of the SLIET today, it was stated, “In order to restore the normal functioning of the institute, repair of damaged equipment and infrastructure and to plan for smooth conduct of examination, the institute is closed for the students with immediate effect. The probable date of opening of the institute could be in the second week of June. The students shall be informed in advance through press and media and other available means. The period of closure can be extended if required.”

The notice further reads, “The SLIET-2013 examination also stand postponed due to loss of data in the SET office. The suitable date will be informed later. However, it will not be held before the second week of June.”

Professor AS Dhaliwal, Registrar, SLIET, said as the institute had been closed for a month, the students had been told to go to their homes after vacating the hostels.

The DC said he and the SSP had assured the students that they could repose their trust in them and that they would get justice. He said the Union Ministry of Human Resources and Development had formed a committee under the chairmanship of a retired judge of the High Court to look into matters related to faculty and students. The committee would also give suggestions to improve the functioning of the institute, he added.

He said also the decision of reopening the institute would be taken on June 2 after reviewing the situation.

The SLIET campus had witnessed violence on Monday after the SLIET authorities "declined to listen to students' demands and grievances". Students had later accused the institute director of asking the police to use force on them in the form of lathi-charge and tear-gas shells.

Fazilka, May 10
On the call of the Punjab Chemists' Association, chemists of Fazilka district kept their shops closed for the whole day today, resulting in inconvenience to patients and emergency services in the district. They were protesting against the foreign direct investment (FDI) in pharma sector and many other anti-trader policies of the government. Chemists in Ladhuka, Arniwala, Khui Khera, Nihal Khera and Jalalabad town also observed the strike.

Hundreds of chemists from Fazilka gathered at the local Pratap Bagh and carried out a protest march, led by Sandeep Bhusari, general secretary of the Chemists' Association, Fazilka . The protesters submitted a memorandum to Assistant Commissioner (General) Rajpal Singh seeking acceptance of their long-pending demands. — OC

Abohar, May 10
Lt-General Gyan Bhushan, GOC-in-Chief, South Western Command, inaugurated a modern 'Sainik Institute' at Lalgarh Jattan military station in the neighbouring Rajasthan today. The institute has a gymnasium, an air-conditioned library, a computer laboratory, a restaurant and an entertainment room with a music system and TV. It also has recreational facilities like pool table, cyber café, video game zone, etc. — OC

Patiala, May 10
Having failed to find concrete evidence against boxer Vijender Singh, the Punjab Police is unlikely to challenge the court orders restraining it from conducting drug tests on the pugilist.

With the probing team headed by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hardyal Singh Mann shifted to Patiala, Vijender is learnt to have requested the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to allow him to undergo training at the SAI’s Sonepat centre.

Mann said Vijender was not the key accused in the drug haul case and his name figured only in the list of probable consumers.

“After the court last week rejected our plea on the boxer's hair and nail samples, we are no more eager to challenge the court order,” Mann said, adding that a challan would soon be submitted but would not have Vijender's name.

Indian Amateur Boxing Federation president Abhishek Matoria said the boxer had sent an application to be allowed to train at the SAI’s Sonepat centre. The Punjab Police had earlier claimed that the boxer had consumed heroin, procured from drug lord Anoop Singh Kahlon, at least 12 times.

Meanwhile, the Patiala police today claimed to have recovered mescaline, a synthetic drug primarily used in Mexico.